Ever wonder why the champions of Reservation Raj, our politicos don't ever talk about reserving 50 per cent seats in Parliament and the State Legislatures for the SCs, STs and OBCs? Why stop at that. How about having at least 27 per cent reserved ministerial posts? The answer? Our netagan simply don't want to slice their cake. After all, politics is all about conning the electorate, skimming their votes with 'feel good' populism and sound bites. Failing to realize that a time may come when the move could boomerang.
Clearly, the landmark judgment by the Five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balkrishna, upholding 27 per cent quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in Central Government institutions of higher education has done a fine balancing act between the anti-reservation lobby and the pro-reservation politicos by playing both ends against the middle. Leaving both disgruntled.
Our caste crazy netagan who have built their career edifice by practising Backward politics, are livid that the "creamy layer" among the OBCs (their brood, children of judges, Class I and II babus et al and those earning Rs 2.5 lakh annually) have been excluded from deriving the benefits of such reservation. Three judges were also against extending the benefits of reservation beyond graduation level. If this interpretation stays, the OBCs will not get reservation in either the IIMs, AIIMS or in other postgraduate courses. Justified Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, "if the creamy layer is included it would be unreasonable, discriminatory or arbitrary, resulting in reverse discrimination."
The verdict has knocked the bottom of the time-worn system of having purely all caste-based quotas. One, because it went against the tenets of Article 15(1) (prohibits discrimination on the ground of caste...) of the Constitution; Two, the Court felt that unless the creamy layer (forwards among the Backward Classes) was excluded from the caste group, there could not be a proper identification of the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) based on poverty which need to be economically and socially uplifted.
Three, for the caste-fixated politicos the verdict is totally out-of-sync with their greed for power. Specially when they can reap a political windfall of over 70 per cent votes via reservation. See how they are all busy finding ways to get the creamy layer included by raising the income limit and getting post graduate institutions included. Never mind if it pushes India back by a century.
True, the Apex Court needs to be lauded for it's affirmation of the principle of positive discrimination in favour of the SEBCs while rejecting that social backwardness was a direct function of one's caste status. As also calling for a review of the OBC quota list every five years.
However, the anti-reservation lobby led by the Youth for Equality is very unhappy. Whatever happened to merit and excellence? When does justice supercede competence? What about the Prime Minister's much-touted Knowledge Commission? Questionably, is reservation an end in itself? Has any objective study been done to find out whether those provided reservation have gained or continued to lose? How does it better the lot of the 'deprived' if a few persons get educated or get jobs?
Look at the grim truth. Fifty per cent of the reserved seats of the IITs remain vacant (even the much lower entry marks were not secured by the students). Worse, after completing a Preparatory Course, many students continue to be unprepared for the intense competition and 'grading on a curve' that they are thrown into. And 25 per cent of those who joined were forced to quit as they were unable to complete the four-year course even in six years! A recent survey points that 23.5 per cent college seats are already with the OBC's on merit. Why then the need for reservations?
Not only that. The Parliamentary Committee on Welfare of SC & ST (1995-2000) noted that in Delhi University between 50 per cent of the under-grad SC seats and 66 per cent ST remained unfilled. As per the University Grants Commission, 1.2 lakh reserved category seats remain vacant at the higher education levels and 40 per cent of reserved category teaching staff posts remain unoccupied. It stands to reason why increase the reserved seats if they go wasted? Is this good use of the taxpayer's money?
Since higher education is costly, who will foot the reserved students' tuition fees? Specially against the backdrop that nearly Rs 450 billion is spent on professional courses, including medical, dental and engineering. According to an academician, over 85,000 seats remained vacant in the engineering stream during 2003-04 in DU. And, in Karnataka alone, 400 seats in dental colleges remained unfilled.
Poonam I Kaushish, INFA
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